| Chaetacme | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Ulmaceae |
| Genus: | Chaetacme |
| Species: | C. aristata |
| Binomial name | |
| Chaetacme aristata Planch. |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Chaetacme microcarpa |
|
Chaetacme is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the elm family containing the single species Chaetacme aristata. Its English common name is thorny elm,[1] and it is known as muyuyu in Kikuyu.[2] It is native to eastern and western Africa, including Madagascar.[3]
This is a shrub or small tree growing up to 10 meters tall. It has drooping, angular branches covered with spines up to 3.5 centimeters in length. The lance-shaped leaves are up to 11 centimeters long by 5 centimeters wide, pointed at the tip and smooth or serrated on the edges. The shrub is dioecious and sexually dimorphic, with male and female flower types borne on separate individuals.[3][4]
This shrub is host to the mirid bug Volumnus chaetacme.[5]
The spiny branches of the shrub are used as fences in African villages.[2][6]